Edwaed



(No Modelj) E. C. CRREY'. WHIPFLBTRBE SPRING.

Patented lVIeLy8,` 1888.

I IUI... ,l

` UNITED STATES PATENT Ormes.

EDWARD O. OURREY, OF SOUTH EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE EVENER SPRING' COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

WHIFFLETREE=SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,353, dated May 8, 1888.

Application tiled October 14, 18156. Renewed October 10, 1887. Serial No. 251,925. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD C. CURREY, residing at South Evanston, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsinWhiiiietreeandEvenerSprings, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to an improvement in draft attachments for vehicles,agricultural machinery, Src.; and its object is to relieve draftiO animals from the shock and strain usually incident to starting heavy loads and when an obstruction is encountered.

It consists in certain details of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvenient; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3 is a view of the front extension reversed. Fig. 4 is a detail showing the head of the clevisbolt.

In the drawings, A is a tubular metallic frame designed to inclose a strong spiral steel spring,B, which fitsloosely withinit. Thisframe may be straight or'curved, as shown, in order to conform to the usual curvature of the shafts of a vehicle. The outer or rear end of the frame is open to admit the spring, and theopposite or front end is closed,with the exception of a small aperture to admit a bolt or rod, C, upon which the clevis E is secured by a head, C'. This bolt or rod extends back through the clevis and frame, through the interior of the spiral spring, and terininates in a nut or washer, D, at the rear open end of the frame, which iits within the frame and closesthe opening,asshown in Fig. 2. Thisnut or washerD is of suitable size to slide within the frame as the spring is compressed. At the front and under side of this springirame is a short vertical flange, F, adapted to fit against the rear face of the cross-bar, and a similar horizontal flange, G, designed to fit upon the top or upper surface of the cross-bar. These flanges are provided with holes or openings h for bolts, by means of which the device may be bolted to the crossbar. Upon the horizontal ange G is bolted or secured a plate, H, extending forward, over, and beyond the cross- 50 bar of the shafts beneath the clevis. This plate is provided with a narrow central slot, I, extending back from its front end to the cross bar, and designed to admit the end of the bolt J, -which passes up through the clevi's E. Upon the under side of plate H, and on either side of the slot, is a rib, 7a, the space between which forms a track or groove for the lhead M of the clevis-bolt, which fits between them.

N is a nut on the opposite end of the clevisbolt,which holds itin place when it (the bolt) is 6o inserted from the bottom up through the plate and clevis, for the purpose of securing the whifdetree or evener. rIhe clevis is always compelled to maintain a vertical position, because of the slot I in the plate through which the bolt passes and the track between the ribs k, between which the head of the bolt is confined.

When desired to operate my device, it is secured by bolts to the crossbar of the shafts or 7o to any other suitable part of the vehicle or machine to which the draft is to be applied. The whiffletree or evener is then placed within the clevis and secured by the bolt, and the power attached. As the power of the draft is applied, the spring is compressed by means of the nut or washer D on the outer end of rod O, which moves within the tubular frame. Thehead M of the bolt J, meantime sliding forward through the slot I, maintains the clevis 8c in an upright or vertical position, and at the, same time prevents lateral strain on the rod O, which would bend' and render it useless, until the resistance is gradually overcome and the vehicle is started without jar or strain and Without bending or injuring rod O by lateral strain upon the team, when the spring Y again'resumes its normal position as nearly as the weight of theload will permit. In case an obstruction is suddenly encountered the 9o jar and shock are received by the spring,which yields and relieves the team.

Having thus describedk my nvention,whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters' Patent, 1s-

1. In a draft attachment for vehicles, the combination, with the tubular frame secured to the tongue or cross-bar and inclosing the spiral spring, having the compressing-rod eX- tending through its interior, provided with a roo nut or Washer at its rear end adapted topslide within the frame and a elevis on its front end of the slotted plate extending forward beyond the frame and provided'on its under side with the downwardprojecting ribs, forming a track or recess for the head of the devis-bolt, suhstantially as specified.

2. In a draft-equalizer for vehic1es,the eon1- bination, with the cross-bar of the shafts, of the tubular frame adapted to inclose the spiral spring and its compressingrod, having a horizontal and a vertical ange at its front end cast integral therewith,and provided with suitable bolt-'openings whereby it may be secured to said crossbar, substantially as and for the purpose specified. l

3. In a draft attachment forl vehicles, th combination7 with the tubular spring-frame having the horizontal and the vertical flanges at its front end, of the spiral spring, the

springcompressing rod having a nut or Washer at its rear end and a clevis at its front end, andthe Slotted front extensionplatel adapted to receive the end of the clevis-bolt, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a draft attachment for vehicles, the combination, With the spring frame having the vertical and the horizontal attachingdauges at its front end, .of the interior spiral spring, the spring-compressing rod havinga olevis secured to its front end, and the slotted .front extension-plate provided with a recess on its under side for the head of the cievis bolt, substantially as and for the purpose described.

EDVARD C. CURREY.

Attest:

I. H. MACDONALD, N. B. LoVEJoY. 

